Cypress college wiw-h - 11.29.21 - presentation

1. #Poetry4MentalHealth
@artwithimpact
#WellnessinWords

2. #Poetry4MentalHealth
YOUR FACILITATOR: Britt
Britt Martinez-Hewitt (she/they) is a
queer artist, sex worker and
community organizer born and
raised in Miami & currently based in
Los Angeles. She focuses on healing
justice for survivors, popular
education for tenants, pleasure
activism, ancestral circular
economies, and mutual aid efforts
beyond borders. Britt believes that
embodied art practices guide
people towards unlocking their own
power, fueling collective dreaming
and pushing us towards freedom. In
her freetime, she has a radio show
on Dublab and celebrates poetry.

3. #Poetry4MentalHealth
○ Campus workshops
○ Monthly short film competition
○ Short film production grants
○ Global community
BROUGHT TO YOU BY

4. #Poetry4MentalHealth
HERE’S THE PLAN
1. Define our terms
2. Practice a way of expressing ourselves:
Immerse - Explore - Express
3. Share
4. Panel
5. Evaluation (and a chance to enter to win
a $25 Amazon gift card!)

5. #Poetry4MentalHealth
HEADS UP
● Mental health is personal – YOU are the expert on
your own experience
● We are going to be talking about complicated ideas
that can be highly connected with our sense of self
● We are online - this is a public, shared space
● We are recording this session for internal training
and evaluation purposes
● Please take care of yourself however you need,
including asking for help.

6. #Poetry4MentalHealth
NEED SUPPORT?
Access mental health support throughout this workshop.
Click Shared Notes
To link to online
resources
Private Chat mental health pros.
They are at the top and have * next
to their names
#1 #2

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3 WAYS TO ENGAGE
We welcome your participation
CHAT BOX: Use the
Public Chat to connect
with the whole group
#1

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POLL: respond
to a Poll when
prompted
#2
Set Your Status by
clicking on your name
and selecting from
the drop-down menu
#3
3 WAYS TO ENGAGE
We welcome your participation

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If you need tech
support, ask…
Look for the person whose name begins with
AWI Support and Private Chat them with any issues.

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#Movies4MentalHealth
POLL: Who’s here today?
C
B
Student at
Cypress
College
A
Faculty/staff at
Cypress College
Somebody else

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#Movies4MentalHealth
A California
Another state
Another country
POLL: Where in the world are you?
C
B

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HOW ARE YOU, REALLY?
Share a few words in the chat to describe how
you’re feeling right now.
● Great
● Happy
● Exhausted
● Stressed
● Need caffeine
● Feeling a bit weary but ... looking forward
to the future!
● Tired but good
● Okay
● Feeling good
● Tired
● I’m feeling good. Interested in this
workshop and what I can learn from it.

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WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE
DISCUSSING MENTAL HEALTH?
None
A B
C D
E
Unfamiliar
Very Familiar
Familiar
Expert

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Mental illness
Mental wellness

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A None
C
B
D
I mean, a little in
school, maybe?
I’ve written a
bit here and
there...
I write poetry all
the time!
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE
WITH WRITING POETRY?

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POETRY
For this workshop we’ll define
poetry as a condensed
expression of your thoughts or
feelings
Anything you put to paper with
intention can be poetry

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IMMERSE, EXPLORE, EXPRESS
As a group, we will immerse ourselves in 2
short films from our OLIVE Film Collection.
Together, we will explore the themes
brought up in the films through discussion.
Individually, we will express our thoughts
and feelings through writing exercises to
create poetry as a response.

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
IMMERSE, EXPLORE, EXPRESS
Round 1

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CHAINED
By Dustin Lowman
AWI Winner, September 2016
Immerse
Content heads up: Post Traumatic Stress, Veteran

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HOW ARE YOU, REALLY?
You are invited to share a few words in the
chat to describe how you’re feeling.
Immerse
● Inspired
● Glad to know there’s always a way forward
● Determined
● Life is challenge
● Never give up

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EXPLORE
Hope can be difficult to hold on
to, to keep sight of, and through
life we are often tested.
Explore

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Explore
What can stand between us and hope?
● Negative thoughts
● Self-doubt
● Uncertainty
● Depression and anxiety
● Anxiety
● School
● Life circumstances
● Fear
● People
● Loneliness

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
Take a breath.
Explore

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
FREE WRITE
“Reaching the Unreachable”
Express

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SELF REFLECTION
How did that feel?
Did you write anything that
surprised you?
Express

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
FIND THE SCULPTURE
“Reaching the Unreachable”
Express

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
Let’s share!
Express
I like burger
Indeed I do
Burger taste good
It smell good too.
But I am sad
Burger place is far
I want to eat burger
But I don’t have car
What stands between us and hope is fear,Hope cannot be attained
if we do not consciously choose to keep going and push through
regardless of what our past and thoughts are telling us.
Sometimes, when reaching for the unreachable, I lose my sense of
self.
Sometimes, what I'm reaching for is self-criticism in disguise.
I realize now I must be careful what I'm truly reaching for. Where is my
motivation coming from?
Feeling lost and hopeless, as if my goals and dreams
are forever unattainable
Trying so hard not to give up and succumb to the
negativity of my mind
Everything feels so unreachable in times like these,
and the loneliness I feel is unbearable
Friends, family, and all loved ones feel more distant
than before

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
IMMERSE, EXPLORE, EXPRESS
Round 2

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LITTLE ELIZABETH
By Elizabeth Ayiku
AWI Winner, February 2018
Immerse
Content heads up: Discussion of Trauma and Childhood Sexual Assault

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HOW ARE YOU, REALLY?
You are invited to share a few words in the
chat to describe how you’re feeling.
Immerse
● That gave me goosebumps
● Emotional! That was beautiful!
● It brought up some emotions
● That was moving
● Inspired
● Tears in my eyes, very emotional and peaceful at the end
● Emotional!
● The feelings she shared were so relatable
● That was beautiful. I appreciate her strength
● She is connecting with her inner self.
● Brought back past emotions
● Inspiration
● I want to be at the beach
● Really touched me, very moving
● I feel grounded and hopeful

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EXPLORE
In our lives we’ve all grown
and overcome
a lot of adversity
Explore

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Explore
What are some important messages you’ve
needed to give yourself in order to grow?
● Holding on to anger is only hurting me. Just forgive and move on
● Some things are uncontrollable and you shouldn't blame yourself
for everything.
● Let go!
● Forgive and let go
● I am not alone. I am stronger than I feel.
● Look on the bright side
● If at first, you don't succeed, try again and never give up! Also, that
it is okay to fail sometimes, we are only human.
● Life is a journey not a marathon. Feelings aren't facts.
● Keep going
● No need to feel so much guilt for things you cant control
● Fear and doubt is what I felt before I attempted to achieve my
goals
● It's ok to fail but learn and grow from it
● Stop skipping the gym
● I need to accept the circumstances and learn from them rather
than let them hold me back
● It is okay to put yourself first in order to live your own life and
grow

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
Take a breath.
Immerse

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
FREE WRITE
“A love letter to a younger you”
Express

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SELF REFLECTION
How did that feel?
Did you write anything that
surprised you?
Express

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
FIND THE SCULPTURE
“A love letter to a younger you”
Immerse

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
Let’s share!
Immerse
You are loved, you are beautiful, you are safe, and I will always be
here for you no matter what
You are capable of doing anything you put your mind to, don’t let
anyone discourage you or tell you what you cannot do
You will do many great things, just be patient and believe in
yourself, and everything will soon fall into place before you know it
Even on your darkest of days, you will get through it if you keep
pushing, the beauty of life itself will unfold and shine through that
darkness because darkness is not forever
You are beautiful and you are loved.
You are capable of great things.
I know you feel doubt now and that's ok, but you will find your way.
I miss you. If I could, I would give you a big warm hug. Because you
deserve it, and because I want you to stay.
There is no reason for you to run away. Reality is heavy but only
because it carries so much meaning.
Your worth cannot be measured by a number. Stay Kind. Hopeful.
Inspired.

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The Blessing of the Morning Light
BY DAVID WHYTE
Immerse

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Share as many words that you can think
of that you associate with the idea of
‘HOPE’
● Freedom
● Light, uplifting, feeling free
● Peace
● Future, relief, happiness, light
● Believe
● Trust
● Future
● Life, joy
● Acceptance

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i. Something from nature you love
ii. A type of weather you love
iii. A day of the year you love
iv. Your favourite food or drink
Explore
A LIST OF GRATITUDE

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
FREELY &
DELIBERATELY
“This New Morning...”
Immerse

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#Poetry4MentalHealth
Let’s share!
Immerse
Dishes, kids, food, cook, and clean
Study and school all in between
And for my king to be his queen
I shant fall off this trampoline
This new morning
Be grateful
Smile
You are lucky to have another mile
Dial into that place where you can express grace
Leave a positive trace
In a world full of sadness
Don’t add to the madness
Be kind and remind… yourself
Love can change the world
a new day,
new beginnings,
Refreshed,
Renewed.
Start over/ANEW

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You can take this process
forward…
Immerse
Explore
Express

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AWI: Continued Connections
Exclusive community events and spaces
Arts-based discussion trainings
Interview and discussion opportunities
Weekly art + wellness prompts
Click the link in the chat to learn more!

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MEET THE PANEL
bit.ly/wiw-h-cc
Krista Chavez-Camacho (she/her)
Health Educator, Cypress College Health Center
Jazmine Garcia (she/her)
Outreach and Intervention Specialist, OCAPICA, Well(ness)essity Program

47. #Poetry4MentalHealth
Please fill out the evaluation!
@artwithimpact
info@artwithimpact.org
You can enter for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!
If you are receiving credit for attending this workshop, at the end of
the evaluation, you’ll be prompted to add your information to a sign-in
sheet.
Evaluation responses will remain separate and anonymous.

48. #Poetry4MentalHealth
Virtual Mingle/Panel Q&A
Ask a question or share a thought!
You can raise your hand (see image below) to be given
instructions to audio in, use the public chat box, or
send a private message to AWI Support / a panelist.

49. #Poetry4MentalHealth
Stay in touch!
Sign up for Continued
Connections!
...and don’t forget to copy/paste the
resources in the Shared Notes!
@artwithimpact
info@artwithimpact.org